1. Field
The invention is in the field of spill resistant lids or caps for containers such as beverage cups or glasses.
2. State of the Art
There are various lids or caps currently available to be placed on beverage cups or glasses to help prevent spillage of the beverage contained therein. A common type of lid is a disposable lid made of thin plastic material which is snapped onto the top of paper or plastic soft drink or hot drink cups at fast food restaurants. Examples of these are as shown in my issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,437 and in patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,986,437 and 4,503,992. However, while many of these lids do a relatively good job of preventing spills, there is always room for improvement in the areas of preventing leakage to thereby prevent drips and spills, and in the area of retention of the lid on the top of the container. Leakage caused by liquid seeping around the top of the container because of poor sealing of the lid to the container remains a problem and causes spills due to drips. Also, improvement can be made in the stackability of containers using such lids.
According to the invention, a spill resistant lid for sealing the open top of a container includes a first cylindrical wall and a second cylindrical wall secured to the first cylindrical wall and spaced therefrom to form a receiving channel for the open top of a container to be received therein. A ridge extends inwardly from the first cylindrical wall into the receiving channel. The first cylindrical wall and ridge extending therefrom cooperate to deform to allow the wall and ridge to move outwardly to allow a bead about the top outside edge of the container to move into the receiving channel and the wall and ridge to move back so that the ridge contacts the outside wall of the container below the bead to secure and hold the lid over the top of the container. The ridge can be continuous or can be discontinuous. A discontinuous ridge is presently preferred to lessen the collapsability of the ridge and the first cylindrical wall. An inner continuous bead extends outwardly from the second cylindrical wall into the receiving channel. The outside diameter of the bead is greater than the inside diameter of the container opening at the location of the inner continuous bead when the lid is in sealing position over the container opening so the bead exerts sealing pressure against the inside wall of the container. A central lid portion is secured to the second cylindrical wall to fill in and close the area inside the second cylindrical wall. The central lid portion deforms and cooperates with the second cylindrical wall and inner continuous bead extending therefrom to create the sealing force on the inner continuous ridge against the inner wall of the container.
The central lid portion preferably includes a third cylindrical wall which forms a reservoir area in the central lid portion and a drinking opening for discharge of liquid through the opening to allow a user to drink from the container with the lid in position on the container. The third cylindrical wall is secured to the second cylindrical wall by a web, the web position and orientation with respect to the second and third cylindrical walls being deformable to allow the inner continuous bead to move inwardly along the inside wall of the container as the top of the container is inserted into the receiving channel and to apply sealing force against the inside wall of the container when in sealing position on the container. It is presently preferred that the web be configured to be displaced downwardly when the lid is placed in sealing position over the open topped container. With such orientation, when the lid is placed over the open topped container and pressure is applied to the central lid portion, such as by applying such pressure to the third cylindrical wall, the web will be displaced downwardly by the pressure applied to the third cylindrical wall which will pull the inner bead inwardly and facilitate moving the lid to sealing position with respect to the container. When the downward pressure is released from the third cylindrical wall, the web moves back toward its original orientation and applies pressure to the second cylindrical wall and to the inner bead so the inner bead applies sealing pressure against the inner wall of the container.
The central lid portion may also include a container bottom platform so that a portion of the bottom of another container to be stacked on the container with the lid may be received thereon and the lid may also include one or more container bottom receiving grooves to receive another portion of the bottom of the container to be stacked to hold the stacked container in position on the lid. When stacked, a portion of the bottom of the container will be received in a groove and another portion, generally the opposite portion, will rest on the container bottom platform. Rather than a bottom receiving groove, a secondary container bottom platform may be provided to receive a portion of the bottom of the container to be stacked. The container bottom platform and groove or secondary platform are configured to be at substantially the same height so that a container stacked thereon is held substantially level when the lower container on which it is stacked is substantially level. The platforms or platform and groove are sized and configured so that walls hold the stacked container received therein from sliding on the lid.
The central lid portion and third cylindrical wall will preferably form a reservoir to hold and funnel back into the container any liquid that may escape from a drinking hole or opening in the lid. The drinking hole is preferably located inside the third cylindrical wall in the reservoir formed thereby. The drinking hole may extend through the container bottom platform or through a beveled portion extending to the third cylindrical wall. The third cylindrical wall may also include a spout aligned with the drinking hole to help the user align his or her mouth with the hole. The hole may be elliptical in shape and oriented radially lengthwise.